Thursday, February 14, 2013

Brainstorming for Lent

Just musing on some ideas for observing Lent...

We still have the Jesse Tree up and it makes a nice decoration, but we can't very well leave it up all year! A new season is beginning....

Lent has a different feeling to it than Advent. Advent always feels joyful even in its moments of poignancy and expectancy. But can we really wait for the Resurrection with the same cheerfulness, though it ultimately becomes a victory celebration?

I'm not sure how to react to some of the ideas I've found. A "Crown of Thorns" maze for Sunday school? Crucifixion coloring sheets? I do think there are many meaningful ways to observe Lent with children, and they don't necessarily have to be somber.

But it's somewhat unsettling how many of these activities are described as "cute." And I realize as I'm writing that I've been avoiding the words "decorate" and "celebrate."

I like the idea of doing something like a Jesse Tree that will focus on one aspect of Easter, each day. Maybe just keep our Jesse Tree and use different ornaments. I know that Catholics use "Stations of the Cross" or the "Spiritual Way of the Cross" as one tradition.

Another tradition I saw was the act of covering up decorations with draped fabric until after the Resurrection. I'm not sure how I feel about that. It seems too "TA-DA!".

It's late, and I forget what else I was going to write. But I would be interested in suggestions!

1 comment:

I like the idea of approaching lent like you have the Jesse Tree. It's given me something to ponder...of course Lent has already started here, but it's never to late for a good idea.;)

Still very much enjoying keeping up with your life in St. Petersburg as we miss the daughter of our hearts who waits in an orphanage for us. I feel like you give me little glimpses of life there...a connection kept to her, so to speak.

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Update on our family:

Our son David was born July '12 and Sophia was born August '16. We spend the school year in St. Pete and do some traveling in the summer.

If you want to read more about a missionary's life in St. Petersburg, you can browse past posts. Key posts are linked below (under construction since the Link List gadget is borken) and there are also labels and archives further down the sidebar.